January 2011 Rundown

I’m taking a much needed break from research papers to introduce a new… thingymicjigger – for lack of a better/more intelligent/prettier term.

One of my personal blogging goals for this year is to review more of the books I read. Unfortunately, I live in the real world and I know that I won’t be able to review every book I read. It was while I was thinking about that that I came up with the idea of doing some sort of month end post. Basically I’m going to mention what I read and write a little something about those books that I didn’t review for the month, or at least not yet. I might throw other random stuff in here, perhaps links to fellow book bloggers about something that caught my interest, maybe something about what I’m looking forward to or planning for. The choices are endless, and ultimately whatever I want to be. That being said, the January 2011 Rundown.

This month I finished 13 books, an essay – on the long side, and I’ve also started a few other books. Lately I’ve been experiencing ‘jumpy reading’ where I get bored and pick up something else entirely, even if what I was reading before was good. I’m attributing this recent weirdness to all the crap my brain and body has been through as of late, like say weeks of illness and drugs to combat said illness. January really was a fantastic month!

I’ve only reviewed four of the books I read this month. I finally – after a year of waiting – completed my first Greg Iles’ during my trip home from Oklahoma early in the month withThird Degree. It was fantastic! I also listened to my first audiobook, David Sedaris’ Holidays on Ice. This was also great. I gave Diana Palmer another go reading Lawman, but I think it’ll be a while before I revisit her. She needs to work on character variation, big time, so I think spreading out anything I do decide to read by her is probably a good idea. Also I did a short review ofWorking Stiff by Tori Carrington. This is the fourth book in the Sofie Metropolis series and I’m looking forward to going back and reading the first three – because I just so happen to be a backwards kinda gal.

I also finished two more books in the super duper Dark-Hunter series. I just love the background and mythology behind the story. It’s something else. Anywho, I’m hoping to get my double review of Night Play and Seize the Night up this week.

I’m also hoping to gather my thoughts on Daniel Defoe’s essay ‘Conjugal Lewdness’ to post this week. I originally heard about this essay when I read Sex at Dawn last year and once I looked into it I knew I just had to read it. Trust me, it is going to be super fun once I organize all of my thoughts just a bit better.

Other books I completed this month (I was going to include pictures, but my computer is not getting along with the upload tool):

The Bachelor by Carly Phillips: This is the first of the Chandler brothers books by Ms. Phillips. Roman is the youngest of three boys and he gets called home after his mother falls ill. During his time back in town Roman runs into Charlotte, the girl who got away in high school. Roman struggles with his feelings for Charlotte, his hopes for work, and figuring out what the right move to make is. I actually read the third book first because I had no clue it was the third (seeing a pattern here?) and really enjoyed it. The Bachelor is no exception.

The Playboy by Carly Phillips: The second of the Chandler brother books features Rick, the middle brother and hometown cop. Rick is pretty sure he can handle anything, thats until he meets Kendall and he has to face those big bad feelings she stirs, oh and deal with the fact that Kendall is a constant wanderer and has promised to leave. But when Kendall suddenly has her teenage sister to care for, things are bound to change and these two people who could never have worked out might just get their chance. Again, I liked this one. Really, I found all three books quite catchy.

Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch by B.J. Daniels: When a body is found in the bottom of an old well on a family ranch and investigation opens up. When the townspeople find out who the person was speculation arises. Meanwhile, our leading man who is in charge of the investigation also tries to get his girl back and attempts to find answers about what really happened to him five years ago. This is a really quick read, but still really good. I read through it quite quickly and found that I had trouble walking away from it because I wanted to know who was behind all of the events.

Slow Hands by Leslie Kelly: A paramedic volunteers to go up for sale at a charity auction and when he is lucky enough to end up with the woman he wants he knows that he needs to to whatever he can to keep her around. What he doesn’t account for is that the woman believes he is a male escort used to traveling the world. Slow Hands was an entertaining read, good for say a rainy, or snowy as it’s been, afternoon.

McKettricks of Texas: Garrett by Linda Lael Miller: I was introduced to Linda Lael Miller last year when I read her Montana Creeds series. I really liked that trilogy so when I came across one of her McKettricks books I knew I had to check it out. The McKettricks series is pretty big, but I really like Garrett’s story. There was a lot of coming home and finding oneself and also letting yourself feel what you deserve. Miller definitely has some catchy western romance and I look forward to reading more of her stories.

Slave (Cat Star Chronicles #1) by Cheryl Broooks: I actually received my copy of Slave for free from Barnes and Noble. The book was… interesting, to say the least. It was futuristic and sci-fi-ish. It was about family and sacrifice and figuring whats right. But first and foremost its a romance, because while all of those other elements are present, Jack a human woman begins a relationship with Cat the only known survivor of Zetith. The book is up there on the spicy scale, and honestly the author spends more time than she needs to focusing on this non-human males penis, but even with that the book was still quite catchy (if not somewhat offensive at first when they got to the planet where they were going – one where women are considered slaves, that does get cleared up though). There are seven out now, I may have to keep reading just to see how the adventures turn out and see how many more people from this supposedly extinct race show up.

Romeo, Romeo (Domestic Gods #1) by Robin Kaye: This is the other freebie I got from barnes and Noble that I read during the drive home from OK. Italian stereotypes, rich men who pretend to be commonplace employees instead of owners of well-to-do car dealerships, whats not to love? I actually quite liked Romeo, Romeo. I was entertained, I loved the dynamic between Rosalie and Nick, oh and I loved Rosalie’s dog (leave it to me to fall in love with a pet from a romance novel). Either way it was a good read and I will definitely be looking into the recent releases from this series, its a fun quick read.

Some of these counted toward challenges:Amazingly Pretty: Holidays on IceE-book: Slave and Romeo, RomeoMen in Uniform: The Playboy, Slow Hands, and Crime Scene at Cardwell RanchOff the Shelf: Third Degree, McKettricks of Texas: Garrett, The Bachelor, The Playboy, Night Play, Slow Hands, Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch, Seize the Night, and Lawman

Reading and soon to read:

I’m working my way through New Dimensons 1, a short story collection edited by Robert Silverburg, Turning Angel by Greg Iles, I’ve still got some of Stealing Lincoln’s Body left to read, and I’ve got Posession by A.S. Byatt waiting for me.

I know there was more that I wanted to include, but I’m on about 10 hours of sleep out of the last 3 and a half days, so I’m at the pleading exhaustion stage. All I can say now is Happy Reading!